How do I repair porcelain enamel in self cleaning oven walls?

Louise HardingUpdated February 21, 2017

Self-cleaning oven walls are coated with a factory finish of a baked on porcelain enamel. Repair chips or small cracks to oven wall porcelain enamel with porcelain enamel repair liquid intended for high heat appliances and fireplaces. Porcelain enamel repair liquid comes in a bottle with a built-in brush applicator similar to a bottle of nail polish. Enamel repair liquid is available at appliance, discount, hardware and home improvement stores. The repair liquid is available in do it yourself repair kits or sold separately.

Clean the area to be repaired with a sponge dampened with oven cleaner. Bits of grease or food debris can cause the porcelain enamel repair liquid to refuse adhesion to the exposed steel beneath the chip or the porcelain enamel surface of the oven wall.

Dry the chip/cracked area with a paper towel. The oven wall, like some bathtubs and washing machine drums, consists of a painted finish and steel. According to the Friendly Plumber website, porcelain enamel is baked onto a steel foundation. Porcelain enamel resists high heat and is easy to clean.

Unscrew the lid of the high heat porcelain enamel repair solution. According to Find a Fix website, high heat porcelain enamel repair liquid requires no mixing. Porcelain enamel repair liquid is available in a variety of colours. Choose a colour to match the interior of your self-cleaning oven.

Hold the cap which has an attached brush applicator and paint the crack or chip with the porcelain enamel repair liquid. Completely cover the chip or crack. If the chip is deep, you will need to apply multiple layers to make the repair area level with the porcelain enamel surface of the self-cleaning oven wall. Allow each layer of repair liquid to completely dry before applying another layer. Wipe any repair liquid drips away with a damp paper towel.

Allow the porcelain enamel repair liquid to dry about three hours before operating the oven. Read the high heat porcelain enamel repair solution packaging carefully as some repair liquids require a longer drying and/or curing/bonding time.

Tip

Porcelain enamel repair liquid is a temporary repair that must be reapplied frequently and usually after heating the oven above 218 degrees C. Permanent repairs to porcelain enamel surfaces require intense heat to bake the enamel to the steel surface and must be accomplished by professional services. Most chips and cracks will not affect the function of your self-cleaning oven.

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About the Author

Louise Harding holds a B.A. in English language arts and is a licensed teacher. Harding is a professional fiction writer. She is mother to four children, two adopted internationally, and has had small businesses involving sewing and crafting for children and the home. Harding's frugal domestic skills help readers save money around the home.